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Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins

From	rbowman <bowman@montana.com>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins
Date	2025-10-30 03:00 +0000
Message-ID	<mmg2naFauaqU3@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References	(2 earlier) <slrn10g2hog.173j.trepidation@vps.jonz.net> <mmd9tdFn64jU14@mid.individual.net> <10ds2lb$2l3kk$1@dont-email.me> <mmf22rF5icbU5@mid.individual.net> <DGydnU3ThPVbW5_0nZ2dnZfqnPednZ2d@giganews.com>

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On Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:00:40 -0400, c186282 wrote:

>    Yep, that's how it was. Even in DOS *nobody* used the 'protection'
>    bits.

IBM distributed a RPG wannbe called BRADS with the 5120 system that had a 
byte set on the floppy. The system also came with a low level debugger 
that was handy for examining the disk. Compare an unlocked file with a 
locked one, notice the difference, and fix the locked one.

Back when all the AIX and Linux boxes in our shop had the same root 
password and most used the same scheme for an easily guessed user 
password. Add in the interesting client/server model of X11 and you might 
find it suddenly snowing on your display.

The SMTP server was wide open and wound up being a spammer's paradise one 
weekend. Fixed that pronto. Then there was the IT guy who was a bit shady. 
There were changes after his ass was fired to close the back doors he 
built.

As the years went by it became harder and harder to do stuff and you had 
to change your password every three months. I'd had the same one for 21 
years so that was a PITA. 2FA, Windows Authenticator, all that shit.

There is interesting new stuff but all-in-all people have gotten more 
serious and adult. No fun.

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Thread

Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-28 20:03 +0000
  Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-10-28 14:10 -0700
    Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Allodoxaphobia <trepidation@example.net> - 2025-10-28 22:43 +0000
      Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-29 01:45 +0000
        Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-10-28 20:45 -0700
          Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-29 17:43 +0000
            Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2025-10-29 14:01 -0400
              Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-30 02:45 +0000
            Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-10-29 22:00 -0400
              Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-30 03:00 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2025-10-30 08:12 -0700
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-30 20:19 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Robert Riches <spamtrap42@jacob21819.net> - 2025-10-31 03:00 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-10-30 23:48 -0400
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-10-31 08:33 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-10-31 04:43 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-10-31 09:02 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2025-10-31 08:59 -0700
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-31 20:24 +0000
              Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2025-11-01 03:40 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-01 00:45 -0400
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2025-11-02 03:15 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-01 23:35 -0400
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-11-02 11:25 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-11-02 21:08 +0100
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-11-02 21:51 +0000
            Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-10-31 14:33 +0100
              Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-10-31 23:16 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-01 05:41 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-01 02:18 -0400
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-P  icking Origins vallor <vallor@vallor.earth> - 2025-11-01 07:06 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-P  icking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-02 01:44 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-02 01:34 +0000
                Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-11-01 14:50 +0100
    Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-10-28 22:59 +0000
      Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-10-30 01:29 -0400
        Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-30 06:25 +0000
        Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-10-30 06:59 +0000
    Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-10-29 02:54 +0000
      Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-10-29 17:32 +0000
        Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-11-01 10:30 +0000
    Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-10-29 11:22 +0000
    Re: Ken Thompson Recalls Unix’s Rowdy, Lock-Picking Origins Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-10-30 22:45 +0000

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